The Shakti Shine - April 1, 2019
Shakti Love Notes
We are always growing. I love that! And the more I grow, the more I recognize how important it is for us all to share what we're going through-- even (and especially) me.
So these Love Notes are a space for me to share with you each week-- about the studio, my life, how our community is growing.
I have always considered myself to be someone who trusts.
Life has proven trustworthy for me. Everything has always worked out. I consider every step of my journey reverently, as a necessary step in getting me to where I am-- right now.
Since early last year, when I'm not at the studio, leading retreats with the Duality Project, or facilitating teacher training with Shakti Yoga University, I am a student inShakti School (the name is a total Divine coincidence).
At Shakti School I am learning about Ayurveda, the sister science to Yoga. When you combine feminine-form Ayurveda with Yoga, you get the full-sustainable-health package (imho; in my humble opinion).
And here's what I'm learning about trust from Ayurveda school:
I've been putting my trust in places where it doesn't belong.
I have trusted other people's opinions. I have trusted teachers. I have trusted an idea of God outside & above. I have trusted my skillset. I have trusted my 'smarts.' I have trusted numbers. I have trusted systems.
I have this habit of going outside myself first-- for everything. It feels good when it means validation, but when it doesn't resonate with me I'm left feeling confused. Going outside of myself takes me out of my body, out of my experience, and launches me up into my head where I think in circles until I choose the most reasonable & responsible path forward.
Reasonable & responsible seems like the cute option (it's cute and crazy to run away from reality by setting up full-time residence in my mind; tempting), but overtime it's suffocating if it doesn't line up with what I know & want deep down.
And deep down I know that my trust belongs in my heart.
Call it heart. Call it intuition. Call it a gut feeling or the little voice in the back of my mind. It's the deeper place-- within.
So I'm learning to unlearn all the misplaced trust I've put outside of myself. I'm learning how to drop out of my head and into my body. I'm learning how to live in reality and see more clearly. I'm learning about what works for me, what gets me there.
Breathing helps. When I pause and breathe, I create space for listening. This has turned up the volume on my little inner voice so that she's not so little anymore. These days she's gotten pretty big, actually.
It feels like an unfolding. And at the same time, I am waking up to life in a brand new way. If I had to distill the lesson into a small soundbite for now, this is it:
Learning to trust myself looks like Presence,
and it sounds like "I am Here Now in This."
xx
Ruby
Beyond the mat...
We love Athens.
And we love you.
So let's have more of that-- together.
Here's where you can see what we're up to outside of the studio.
Have ideas about where we should be / what we should check out / how we can show up?
Reply to this email to let us know.
recap:
We've been busy bringing yoga to you outside the studio. Here's where you've seen us:
HOSA @ UGA
Terry School of Business @ UGA
Denney Towers
School of Social Work @ UGA
ESP
Beta Chi Theta @ UGA
Know somewhere that needs yoga or meditation? Let us know!
this week:
Live DJ class w/ Maritza: Reggaeton!
Sign up on mindbody! This class is Wednesday, April 3rd at 7:15pm.
Check out our other April events happening this week below...
~April Happenings~
Pose Challenge
Kinda like bingo, but not... fill up as many spaces as you can in the month of April to be entered to win Shakti merch & classes.
Each completed column gets you an entry into the drawing. Get an extra entry if you tag us on social media with a photo of you in your fav pose of the moment!
Reflections on Pregnancy, Birth, & Motherhood
By: Christine White
"...GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT INCREDIBLE THINGS CAN HAPPEN WHEN I ALLOW MY ENTIRE SELF - MIND, BODY, SPIRIT - BE WITH WHAT IS, AND LET GO OF WHAT ISN’T."
Read More.
Inquiry Corner w/ Emily
Hi everyone, Emily here! This is the start of Inquiry Corner, a place for you to engage in inquiry each week. If you’re new to inquiry, this looks like moving through questions, prompts, activities, and conversations that help you learn more about yourself. I’m excited you’re here!
For the next few weeks, I’ll be posting videos on the yamas + niyamas on Shakti’s IGTV. The yamas and niyamas are part of the foundation of yogic philosophy, and they describe various tenants to living a yogic and ethical life. This week, I’ll be talking about ahimsa (non-violence) and satya (truthfulness). These two have direct interplay with each other.
Inquiry time:
1) How and when do you balance being honest with someone while mitigating any harm truthfulness could cause? (e.g. Disagreements, concerns, miscommunications, small hurts…)
2) Take that one step further — When must you cause immediate “harm” for the sake of truthfulness? When must you cause friction/tension/dis-ease in order to create future wellbeing? (e.g. Standing up for your values, acting in allyship, ending toxic relationships…)
I invite you to list three times/people/experiences/ideas for each question. Share them with someone, and open up these questions for people in your life that you love.